Reading Poison Study
by KIxia
Summary: Characters receive a strange note and decide to read the books. Set just before Poison Study.
1. Chapter 1

Reading Poison Study

Chapter 1

On entering his office the Commander noticed 3 books on his desk. He walked up to them and picked the top one up. He noticed it was called Poison Study. As he sat down and studied the book he wondered why someone was sending him books about poisons. Was it a warning? Was there a plan to poison him or someone close to him? He wasn't particularly worried about himself. Even though his most recent food taster had died he still had Valek tasting his food and he had complete confidence that Valek would notice if anything had been added to it. He decided to send his aid to get Valek. Whatever was going on, he was sure his chief of security would want to know about it.

Valek arrived a few minutes later looking confused. "Valek, did you leave any books on my desk last night?" Commander Ambrose asked as soon as Valek had entered the room and shut the door.

"No Sir, What is going on?" Valek replied.

"When I entered my office this morning there were these books on my desk. The first one is called Poison Study. Do you think this could be a warning?"

Valek walked across the room and picked up the book. "I don't know. I have definitely not seen this book before though." He said looking at the book with interest.

As he flipped through the book a note fell out onto the floor. "There is a note inside," he said picking it up. "Did you see this before?"

"No, what does it say?" asked the Commander looking confused.

Dear Commander Ambrose,

These books give information about events that take place in Ixia and Sitia over the next few years. We hope you will use these books to help prevent a war which will cost many lives and also to improve relations between the two countries.

We know that you distrust magicians but hopefully these books will show you what can be accomplished when both countries work together and that not all magic is wrong.

From a friend.

"From a friend! What is that meant to mean? Do you recognise the writing? How are we meant to know we can trust them."

"Hang on, it isn't finished yet."

PS. You may decide who you read these books with but we advise you to invite Ari and Janco. Also although this may sound strange you have a prisoner in your dungeons called Yelena. It would be advisable to invite her too. You will realise the reason why when you start reading. The reason we have not mentioned Valek is because we assume he is already there. Please pass on our regards to Ambrosia.

"Ambrosia! Why would they say that?" yelled the commander turning pale.

"Maybe that is their way of letting us know they are on our side. You would only let someone you really trust know your secret."

"Maybe, is that it?" the commander asked.

"Yes, what do you want to do about it?"

"If it for the benefit of Ixia. I suppose we better read it. Are you sure this isn't some joke?" the Commander asked looking at Valek suspiciously.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I wouldn't joke about either your or Ixia's safety."

"You are the only one who knows about Ambrosia."

"Well, it is not me. Maybe the book will give us some clues as to who sent the note."


	2. Chapter 2

Book Chapter 1

"Are we going to get the others then?" Valek asked.

"Not yet, I want to see what this book is about first. Then I can decide whether anyone else should be allowed to join us. I think it best to just start reading and see if the book gives any answers."

**Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories. Vivid recollections threatened to ambush me whenever my mind wandered.**

"Who do you think this is about?"

"We won't find out if you are going to interrupt me."

**Encompassed by the blackness, I remembered white hot flames stabbing at my face. Though my hands had been tied to a post that dug sharply into my back, I had recoiled from the onslaught. The fire had pulled away just before blistering my skin but my eyebrows and eyelashes had long since been singed off.**

"That doesn't sound good."

"No, it sounds like someone is being tortured."

"**Put the flames out!" a man's rough voice had ordered. I blew at the blaze through my cracked lips. Dried by fire and fear, the moisture in my mouth had gone and my teeth radiated heat as if they had been baked in an oven.**

"Whoever is doing this is completely crazy."

"I quite agree."

"**Idiot," he cursed. "Not with your mouth. Use your mind. Put the flames out with your mind."**

"Magic, there are trying to get them to do magic. That is the only explanation," the Commander spat out looking annoyed.

**Closing my eyes, I attempted to focus my thoughts on making the inferno disappear. I was willing to do anything, no matter how irrational, to persuade the man to stop.**

"**Try harder." Once again the heat swung near my face, the bright light blinding me despite my closed eyelids.**

"**Set her hair on fire," a different voice instructed. He sounded younger and more eager than the other man. "That should encourage her. Here, Father, let me"**

"Who are these people? I will find them and stop them," Valek said angrily. His threat hung in the air. They both knew how Valek would stop these animals.

**My body jerked with intense fear as I recognised the voice. I twisted to loosen the bonds that held me as my thoughts scattered into a mindless buzzing. A droning noise had echoed from my throat and grew louder until it had invaded the room and quenched the flames.**

"That is definitely magic. The person they are torturing is a magician."

"Probably but the note said something about having to trust magicians so maybe this one is on our side."

"I don't care, I will not have magic in Ixia," the Commander ranted sounding quite irrational.

**The loud, metallic clank of the lock startled me from my nightmarish memory. A wedge of pale, yellow light sliced the darkness, then travelled along stone wall as the heavy cell door opened. Caught in the lantern's glow, my eyes were seared by the brightness. I squeezed the shut and cowered in the corner.**

"Where are we now?"

"Where we were at the beginning. That last bit was just a memory remember."

"**Move it rat, or we'll get the whip." Two dungeon guards attached a chain to the metal collar around my neck and hauled me to my feet. I stumbled forward, pain blazing around my throat. As I stood on trembling legs, the guards efficiently chained my hands behind me and manacled my feet.**

**I averted my eyes from the flickering light as they me down the main corridor in the dungeon. Thick rancid air puffed in my face. My bare feet shuffled through piles of unidentifiable muck.**

"Lovely," Valek said sarcastically.

**Ignoring the calls and moans of other prisoners, the guards never missed a step, but my heart lurched with every word.**

"**Ho, ho, ho…someone's gonna swing."**

"**Snap! Crack! Then your last meal slides down your legs!"**

"**One less rat to feed."**

"**Take me! Take me! I wanna die to!**

**We stopped. Through squinted eyes I saw a staircase. In an effort to get onto the first step, I tripped over my chains and fell. The guards dragged me up. The rough edges of the stone step dug into my skin, peeling away exposed flesh on my arms and legs. After being pulled through two sets of thick, metal doors, I was dumped on the floor. Sunlight stabbed my eyes. I shut them tight as tears spilled down my cheeks. It was the first time I had seen daylight in seasons.**

**This is it, I thought, starting to panic. But the knowledge that my execution would end my miserable existence in the dungeons calmed me.**

**Yanked to my feet again. I followed by guards blindly. My body itched from insect bites and sleeping on dirty straw. I stunk of rat. Given only a small ration of water, I didn't waste it on baths.**

"That is the worst part of being in a prison cell."

"What would you know, you are never in one long enough to find out." The commander joked.

"That is why everyone should have lock picking skills."

"Yes, just what we need prisoners escaping."

**Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around. The walls were bare, without the fabled gold sconces or elaborate tapestries I had been told once decorated the castle's main hallways. **

"Those tapestries were awful. In my opinion they couldn't be destroyed fast enough."

**The cold stone floor was worn smooth in the middle. We were probably travelling along the hidden corridors used solely my servants and guards. As we passed two windows, I glanced out with a hunger that food could not satisfy. The bright emerald of the grass made my eyes ache. Trees wore cloaks of leaves. Flowers laced the footpaths and overflowed from barrels. The fresh breeze smelt like an expensive perfume, and I breathed deeply. After the acidic smells of excrement and body odour, the taste of the air was like drinking a fine wine. Warm caressed my skin. A soothing touch compared to the constantly damp and chilly dungeon.**

**I guessed it was the beginning of the hot season, which meant that I had been locked in the cell for five seasons, one season shy of a full year. It seemed an excessively long time for someone scheduled for execution.**

"I like the hot season," the Commander said.

"That is just because you don't have to go in Sitia. It gets far too hot there. I definitely prefer a cooler season." Valek replied.

**Winded from the effort of marching with my feet chained. I was lead to a spacious office. Maps of the Territory of Ixia and the lands beyond covered the walls. Piles of books on the floor made walking in a straight line difficult. Candles in various stages of use littered the floor, singe marks evident on papers that had got too close to the candle's flame. A large wooden table strewn with documents and ringed by half a dozen chairs occupied the centre of the room. At the back of the office a man sat at a desk. Behind him a square window gaped open permitting a breeze to blow through his shoulder length hair.**

"At least we know where they are now. Do you ever tidy up your office?" asked the Commander.

"I like it like that. I can see if anyone has been in there because generally books have been knocked over." Valek said smiling.

"I would just like to be able to enter your office without tripping over something."

**I shuddered, causing the chains to clatter. From the whispered conversation between prison cells, I had determined that that condemned prisoners were taken to an official to confess their crimes before being hanged.**

**Wearing black pants and a black shirt with two red diamonds stitched on the collar, the man at the desk wore the uniform of an advisor to the Commander. His pallid face held no expression. As his sapphire-blue eyes scanned me they widened in surprise.**

"Then you must be acting. You are never surprised."

**Suddenly conscious of my appearance, I glanced down at my tattered red prison gown and my dirty bare feet roughened with yellow calluses. Dirt-streaked skin showed through the rips in the thin fabric. My long black hair hung in greasy clumps. Sweat-soaked I swayed under the weight of the chains.**

"This book is very descriptive, isn't it?"

"I could do without some of these descriptions though."

"**A woman? The next person to be executed is a woman?" his voice was icy. My body trembled on hearing the word executed aloud. The calm I'd established earlier fled me. I would have sunk sobbing to the floor if the guards weren't with me. The guards tormented anyone who showed any weakness.**

**The man tugged at the black ringlets of his hair. "I should have taken the time to reread your dossier." He shooed the guards away. "You're dismissed."**

"What are you up to now?" the Commander asked. "You are always fully prepared."

"I don't know. It hasn't happened yet."

**When they were gone, he motioned me to the chair in front of his desk. The chains clanged as I perched on the edge.**

**He opened the folder on his desk and scanned the pages. "Yelena, today may be your lucky day," he said.**

"That is why they wanted Yelena here. The book is about her."

**I swallowed a sarcastic reply. An important lesson I had mastered during my dungeon stay was never to talk back. I bowed my head instead, avoiding eye contact.**

**The man was quiet for a while. "Well behaved and respectful. You're starting to look like a good candidate."**

**Despite the clutter in the room the desk was neat. In addition to my folder and some writing implements, the only other items on the desk were two small, black statues glittering with streaks of silver-a set of panthers carved to lifelike perfection.**

"**You've been tried and found guilty of murdering General Brazell's only son, Reyad." He paused, stroking his temple with his fingers. "That explain why Brazell's here this week, and why he has been unusually interested in the execution schedule." The man spoke more to himself than me.**

**Upon hearing Brazell's name, fear coiled in my stomach. I steadied myself with the reminder that I was soon to be out of his reach forever.**

"Do you think Brazell was the one torturing her?" the Commander asked. "If so this book may give more information about what is happening in his orphanage and you can stop pestering me about it."

"I think it must be. Who else would she have met?"

**The Territory of Ixia's military had come to power a generation ago, but the rule had produced strict laws called the Code of Behaviour. During peacetime-most of the time, strangely enough for the military-proper conduct did not allow the taking of a human life. If someone committed murder, the punishment was execution. Self preservation or an accidental death were not considered acceptable excuses. Once found guilty, the murderer was sent to the Commander's dungeon to await a public hanging.**

"Sometimes that law is quite stupid."

"We are not starting this argument again. The code of behaviour means everyone is treated equally."

"**I suppose you're going to protest the conviction. Say you were framed or you killed out of self-defence." He leaned back in his chair waiting with weary patience.**

"**No sir," I whispered, all I could manage from unused vocal cords. "I killed him."**

"That is unusual. Most people try and say something in their defence," said Valek frowning.

**The man in black straightened in his chair shooting me a hard look. Then he laughed aloud. "This may work better than I planned. Yelena, I'm offering you a choice. You can either be executed, or you can be Commander Ambrose's new food taster. His last taster died recently, and we need to fill the position."**

"Really how did the last one die?"

"I don't know. It still hasn't happened yet. He's not much of a loss anyway. He is pretty useless."

**I gaped at him, my heart dancing. He had to be joking. He was probably amusing himself. Great way to get a laugh. Watch hope and joy shine on a prisoner's face, then smash it by sending the accused to the noose.**

**I played along. "A fool would refuse the job." My voice rasped louder this time.**

"**Well, it's a lifetime position. The training can be lethal. After all, how can you identify poisons in the Commander's food if you don't know what they taste like?" He tidied the papers in the folder.**

"**You'll get a room in the castle to sleep, but most of the day you'll be with the Commander. No days off. No husband or children. Some prisoners have chosen execution instead. At least then they know exactly when they are going to die, rather than guessing if it's going to come with the next bite." He clicked his teeth together, a feral grin on his face.**

**He was serious. My whole body shook. A chance to live! Service to the Commander was better than the dungeon, and infinitely better than the noose. Questions raced through my mind: I'm a convicted killer, how can they trust me? What would prevent me from killing the Commander or escaping?**

"**Who tastes the Commander's food now?" I asked instead, afraid if I asked the other questions he would realise his mistake and send me to the gallows.**

"They never ask the right questions," Valek said grinning.

"**I do, so I am anxious to find a replacement. Also the Code of Behaviour states that someone whose life is forfeit must be offered the job.**

"Oh no! I hate it when you are my food taster. You are never on time so my food is always cold when I finally get to eat it," complained the Commander.

"It is not my fault. I have lots of other jobs to do aswell you know."

"That is why you should train someone to be your second."

"I will when I find someone good enough."

**No longer able to sit still, I stood and paced around the room, dragging my chains with me. The maps on the wall showed strategic military positions. Book titles dealt with security and spying techniques. The condition and amount of candles suggested someone who worked late into the night.**

**I looked back at the man in the advisors uniform. He had to be Valek, the Commander's personal security chief and the leader of vast intelligence network for the Territory of Ixia.**

"She has only just worked that out," said Valek shocked.

"It is not like people know what you look like and she was in an emotional state at the time."

"**What shall I tell the executioner?" Valek asked.**

"**I am not a fool"**

"Well it looks like I am getting a new food taster. That is the end of the chapter."


	3. Chapter 3

Book Chapter 2

"We may as well start the next chapter as there is still some time until lunch."

**Valek snapped the folder closed. He walked to the door; his stride as graceful and light as a snow cat traversing thin ice. The guard waiting in the hall snapped to attention when the door opened. Valek spoke to them, and they nodded. One guard came toward me. I stared at him, going back to the dungeon had not been part of Valek's offer. Could I escape? I scanned the room. The guard spun me around and removed the manacles and chains than had been draped around me since I'd been arrested.**

"How are we meant to trust this Yelena person, she just agreed to be my food taster and is already looking for an escape route?"

"She wouldn't be able to escape me and that is part of the reason we use the Butterfly Dust poison as a safety measure," Valek reassured the Commander.

"Do you think she will realise there is something in the drink you offer her?"

"Probably not, but the only way we are going to find out is through continuing reading"

**Raw bands of flesh circled my bloody wrist. I touched my neck, feeling skin where there used to be metal. My fingers came away sticky with blood. I groped for the chair. Being freed of the weight of the chains caused a strange sensation to sweep over me; I felt as if I were either going to float away or pass out. I inhaled until the faintness passed.**

"That's one of the problems with using prisoners as a food taster: they spend so long in the dungeons that they are really weak when they first start."

"Well, do you have any better ideas? They tend to gain health quite quickly if someone doesn't decide to kill them off," the Commander said pointedly.

"We can't have untrustworthy people around, especially when they sell your secrets to potential enemies."

"I know what you are getting at but you have no proof that it is Rand selling secrets. Also he is the best cook we have here," stated the Commander calmly.

"I will get proof it is only a matter of time," Valek declared determinedly.

**When I regained my composure I noticed that Valek now stood beside his desk pouring two drinks. An opened wooden cabinet revealed rows of odd-shaped bottles and multicoloured jars stacked inside. Valek placed the bottle he was holding into the cabinet and locked the door.**

"**While we're waiting for Margg, I thought you could use a drink." He handed me a tall pewter goblet filled with an amber liquid. Raising his own goblet he made a toast. "To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor."**

**My goblet stopped short of my lips.**

"They are always shocked when they hear that. What do they expect? To live a long and fruitful life," Valek asked sarcastically.

"**Relax," he said, "it's a standard toast."**

**I took a long swig. The smooth liquid burned slightly as it slid down my throat. For a moment I thought my stomach was going to rebel. This was the first time it had taken something other than water. Then it settled.**

**Before I could question him as to what exactly happened to the previous food taster, Valek asked me to identify the ingredients of the drink. Taking a smaller portion, I replied "Peaches sweetened with honey."**

"Not bad, she seems able to identify different flavours quite easily."

"**Good. Now take another sip. This time roll the liquid around your tongue before swallowing."**

**I complied and was surprised to taste a faint citrus flavour.**

"**Orange?"**

"**That's right. Now gargle it."**

"I don't see many food tasters gargling drinks," the Commander commented.

"Then they are not doing their jobs properly. There are some poisons that will only be identified by gargling the drink."

"**Gargle?" I asked. He nodded. Feeling foolish I gargled the rest of my drink and almost spat it out. "Rotten oranges!"**

"Eww, sounds disgusting!"

"As long as you have a competent food taster you shouldn't have to taste it. The rotten orange taste is the poison," Valek explained.

**The skin around Valek's eyes crinkled as he laughed. He had a strong, angular face, as if someone had stamped it from a sheet of metal, but it softened when he smiled. Handing me his drink, he asked me to repeat the experiment.**

**With some trepidation, I took a sip, again detecting the faint orange taste. Bracing myself for the rancid flavour, I gargled Valek's drink and was relieved that gargling only enhanced the orange essence.**

"Why would she be relieved there was no rotten taste? That means there is a difference between the two drinks. She should have realised then her drink was spiked with something."

"She probably just didn't like tasting rotten oranges. I am sure she will be able to realise what has been spiked with poison after being trained by you."

"**Better?" Valek asked as he took back the empty cup.**

"**Yes."**

**Valek sat down behind his desk, opening my folder once more. Picking up his quill, he talked to me while writing. "You just had your first lesson in food tasting. Your drink was laced with a poison called Butterfly's Dust. Mine wasn't. The only way to detect Butterfly's Dust in a liquid is to gargle it. That rotten-orange flavour you tasted was the poison."**

**I rose, my head spinning. "Is it lethal?"**

Valek smirked to himself. Everyone always fell for his ruse. Not even the commander knew the truth.

"**A big enough dose will kill you in two days. The symptoms don't arrive until the second day, and by then it's too late."**

"**Did I have a lethal dose?" I held my breath.**

"**Of course. Anything less and you wouldn't have tasted the poison."**

**My stomach rebelled and I started to gag. I forced down the bile in my throat, trying hard to avoid the indignity of vomiting all over Valek's desk.**

"I would like to avoid that situation happening as well. I have lots of important documents near my desk."

**Valek looked up from the stack of papers. He studied my face. "I warned you the training would be dangerous but I would hardly give you a poison your body had to fight while you suffered from malnutrition. There is an antidote to Butterfly's Dust." He showed me a small vial containing a white liquid.**

**Collapsing back in my chair, I sighed. Valek's metal face had returned; I realised he hadn't offered the antidote to me.**

"At least she managed to pick up on that so she might actually have some intelligence."

"**In answer to the question you didn't ask but probably should have, this-" Valek raised the small vial and shook it "- is how we keep the Commander's food taster from escaping."**

**I stared at him trying to understand the implication.**

"**Yelena, you confessed to murder. We would be fools to let you serve the Commander without some guarantees. Guards watch the Commander at all times and it is doubtful you would be able to reach him with a weapon. For other forms of retaliation, we use Butterfly's Dust." Valek picked up the vial of antidote, and twirled it in the sunlight. "You need a daily dose of this to stay alive. The antidote keeps the poison from killing you. As long as you show up each morning in my office, I will give you the antidote. Miss one morning and you will be dead by the next. Commit a crime or an act of treason and you will be sent back to the dungeons until the poison takes you. I would avoid that fate, if I were you. The poison cause severe stomach cramps and uncontrollable vomiting."**

"It is lucky you found that poison. The time delay of the symptoms is useful in making sure they don't run off or at least don't get very far."

**Before full comprehension of my situation could sink in, Valek's eyes slid past my shoulder. I turned to see a stout woman in a housekeeper's uniform opening the door. Valek introduced her as Margg, the person who would take care of my basic needs. Expecting me to follow her, Margg strode out the room.**

**I glanced at the vial on Valek's desk.**

"**Come to my office tomorrow morning. Margg will direct you."**

**An obvious dismissal, but I paused at the door with all the questions I should have asked poised on my lips. I swallowed them. They sank like stones to my stomach. Then I closed the door and hurried after Margg, who hadn't stopped to wait.**

**Margg never slowed her pace. I found myself panting with the effort to keep up. Trying to remember the various corridors and turns, I soon gave up as my whole world shrank to the sight of Margg's broad back and efficient stride. Her long black skirt seemed to float above the floor. The housekeeping uniform included a black shirt and white apron that hung from the neck down to the ankle and was cinched tight around the waist. The apron had two vertical rows of small red diamond-shapes connected end to end. When Margg finally stopped at the baths, I had to sit on the floor to clear my spinning head. **

"**You stink," Margg said, disgust creasing her wide face. She pointed to the far side of the baths in a manner that indicated she was used to being obeyed. "Wash twice, then soak. I'll bring you some uniforms." She left the room.**

"She is a bit blunt, isn't she? Couldn't you find someone a bit more helpful to show her around?" Commander Ambrose asked.

"I like her. She is loyal and can't be bought by anything."

**The overpowering desire to bathe flashed like fire on my skin. Energised, I ripped the prison robe off and raced to the washing area. Hot water poured down in a cascade when I opened the duct above my head. The Commander's castle was equipped with heated water tanks located one floor above the baths, a luxury even Brazell's extravagant manor house didn't have.**

"I like those baths. Hot water is definitely essential after getting back from a long mission."

**I stood for a long time, hoping the drumming on my head would erase all thoughts of poisons. Obediently I washed my hair and body twice. My neck, wrists and ankles burned from the soap, but I didn't care. I scrubbed two more times, rubbing hard at the stubborn spots of dirt on my skin, stopping only when I realized they were bruises.**

**I felt unconnected to the body under the waterfall. The pain and humiliation of being arrested and locked away had been inflicted on this body, but my soul had long since been driven out during the last two years I had lived in Brazell's manor house.**

"Finally we are back on hearing about Brazell. We might find out some interesting information now."

"It certainly doesn't sound as if she was treated well at Brazell orphanage," the Commander agreed.

**An image of Brazell's son suddenly flashed before me. Reyad's handsome face distorted with rage. I stepped back, reflexively jerking up hands to block him. The image disappeared, leaving me shaking.**

**It was an effort to dry off and wrap a towel around me. I tried to focus on finding a comb instead of the ugly memories Reyad's image called forth.**

"She clearly has a lot of issues with this Reyad person. Pity we seem to be back reading about her in the bathroom though. I don't see how that is going to give us any useful information."

"Stop being so impatient. I am sure we will find out more soon. Wasn't Reyad the person she killed?"

"I believe so," Valek answered frowning thoughtfully. "I will have to check her file when we have a break in reading so I can refresh myself on the details."

**Even clean, my snarled hair resisted the comb. As I searched for a pair of scissors, I spotted another person in the baths from the corner of my eye. I stared at the body. A corpse looked back at me. The green eyes were the only sign of life in the gaunt, oval face. Thin stick legs looked incapable of holding the rest of the body up.**

**Recognition shot through me like a cold splash of fear. It was _my_ body. I averted my eyes from the mirror, having no desire to assess the damage. Coward, I thought, returning my gaze with a purpose. Had Reyad's death released my soul from where it had fled? In my mind I tried to reconnect my spirit to my body. Why did I think my soul would return if my body was still not mine? It belonged to Commander Ambrose to be used as a tool for filtering and testing poisons. I turned away.**

"That's a bit odd."

"Yeah, why does she think her soul is somewhere else?"

**Pulling clumps of knotted hair out with the comb, I arranged the rest into a single long braid down my back.**

**Not long ago all I had hoped for was a clean prison robe before my execution, and now here I was sinking into the Commander's famous hot baths.**

"**That's long enough," Margg barked, startling me out of a light doze. "Here are your uniforms. Get dressed." Her stiff face radiated disapproval.**

**As I dried myself, I felt Margg's impatience.**

"I see why you like her: she is as impatient as you are," the Commander commented.

**Along with some undergarments, the food taster's uniform consisted of black pants, a wide red satin belt and a red satin shirt with a line of small black diamond-shapes connected end to end down each sleeves. The clothes were obviously sized for a man. Malnourished and measuring only four inches past five feet, I looked like a child playing pretend with her father's clothes. I wrapped the belt three times around my waist and rolled up the sleeves and pant legs.**

"Can't she even give the appropriate sized clothing?"

"She isn't the friendliest of people but she has worked for use for a long time."

"I would never have guessed she wasn't friendly from reading this chapter," the commander replied sarcastically.

**Margg snorted. "Valek only told me to feed you and show you to your room. But I think we'll stop by the seamstress's first." Pausing at the open door, Margg pursed her lips and added, "You'll need boots too."**

**Obediently, I followed Margg like a lost puppy.**

**The seamstress, Dilana, laughed gaily at my appearance. Her heart-shaped face had a halo of curly blond hair. Honey-colored eyes and long eyelashes enhanced her beauty.**

"You can stop complaining about how unfriendly Margg is now. Yelena is with Dilana. She is really friendly so will sort her out in no time," Valek said.

"**The stable boys wear the same pants and the kitchen maids wear the red shirts," Dilana said when she had stifled her giggles. She admonished Margg for not spending the time to find me better-size uniforms. Margg pushed her lips together tighter.**

**Fussing around me like a grandmother instead of a young woman, Dilana's attentions warmed me, pulling me toward her. I envisioned us becoming friends. She probably had many acquaintances and suitors who came to bask in her attentions like cave dwellers drawn to a blazing hearth. I found myself aching to reach out to her.**

**After writing my measurements down, Dilana searched through the piles of red, black and white clothing stacked around the room.**

"She is much more helpful."

"I told you she would be." Replied Valek sounding bored.

**Everyone who worked in Ixia wore a uniform. The Commander's castle servants and guards wore a variation of black, white and red color clothes with vertical diamond-shapes either down the sleeves of the shirts or down the sides of the pants. Advisers and higher-ranking officers usually wore all black with small red diamonds stitched on the collars to show rank. The uniform system became mandatory when the Commander gained power so everyone knew at a glance who they were dealing with.**

"It does make it much easier to know who is who."

Valek disagreed, "Only if they are wearing the correct uniform. I have found it encourages laziness. People only look at the uniforms and not the person's face. It makes it easier for spies to infiltrate the castle."

"I can't see anyone managing to infiltrate the castle for long while you're here."

**Black and red were Commander Ambrose's colors. The territory of Ixia had been separated into eight Military Districts each ruled by a General. The uniforms of the eight districts were identical to the Commander's except for the color. A housekeeper wearing black with small purple diamond-shapes on her apron therefore worked in Military District 3or MD-3.**

"**I think these should fit better." She handed me some clothes, gesturing to the privacy screen at the far end of the room.**

**While I was changing, I heard Dilana say, "She'll need new boots." Feeling less foolish in my new clothes, I picked up the old uniforms and gave them to Dilana.**

"**These must have belonged to Oscove, the old food taster," Dilana said. A sad expression gripped her face for a moment before she shook her head as if to rid herself of an unwanted thought.**

"How long do you think it will be until he dies?" The Commander asked.

Valek thought for a minute. "I imagine it will be fairly soon. If I remember right Yelena is fairly high on the list of people to be executed. Probably in the next few weeks."

**All my fantasies of friendship fled me as I realized that being friends with the Commander's food taster was a big emotional risk. My stomach hollowed out while Dilana's warmth leaked from me, leaving a cold bitterness behind.**

**A sharp stab of loneliness struck me as an unwanted image of May and Carra, who still lived at Brazell's manor, flashed before my eyes. My fingers twitched to fix Carra's crooked braids and to straighten May's skirt.**

"They must be other children from the orphanage maybe we will be able to get some information from them, if the book doesn't give it."

"I am sure the book will give more information soon. We are only on the second chapter," reminded the Commander.

**Instead of Carra's silky ginger hair in my hands, I held a stack of clothes. Dilana guided me to a chair. Kneeling on the floor, she put socks on my feet and then a pair of boots. The boots were made of soft black leather. They came up over my ankle to midcalf, where the leather folded down. Dilana tucked my pant legs into the boots and helped me stand.**

**I hadn't worn shoes in seasons and I expected them to chafe. But the boots cushioned my feet and fit well. I smiled at Dilana, thoughts of May and Carra temporarily banished. These were the finest pair of boots I'd ever worn.**

**She smiled back and said, "I can always pick the right-size boots without having to measure."**

**Margg harrumphed. "You didn't get poor Rand's boots right. He's too smitten with you to complain. Now he limps around the kitchen."**

"**Don't pay any attention to her," Dilana said to me. "Margg, don't you have work to do? Get going or I'll sneak into your room and shorten all your skirts." Dilana shooed us good-naturedly out the door.**

"At least she has finally got her clothes sorted now."

**Margg took me to the servants' dining room and served me small portions of soup and bread. The soup tasted divine. After devouring the food, I asked for more.**

"**No. Too much will make you sick," was all she said. With reluctance I left my bowl on the table to follow Margg to my room.**

"**At sunrise be ready to work."**

**Once again I watched her retreating back.**

**My small room contained a narrow bed with a single stained mattress on a stark metal frame, a plain wooden desk and chair, a chamber pot, an armoire, a lantern, a tiny woodstove and one window shuttered tight. The gray stone walls were unadorned. I tested the mattress; it barely yielded. A vast improvement over my dungeon cell, yet I felt myself somewhat dissatisfied.**

"Why would she feel dissatisfied at least she has another chance at living? Not everyone gets that."

"We will find out more if we carry on reading."

**Nothing in the room suggested softness. With my mind and eyes filled with Valek's metal face and Margg's censure, and the harsh cut and color of the uniforms, I longed for a pillow or blanket. I felt like a lost child looking for something to clutch, something supple that wouldn't end up hurting me.**

**After hanging my extra uniforms in the armoire, I crossed to the window. There was a sill wide enough for me to sit on. The shutters were locked, but the latches were on the inside. Hands shaking, I unlocked and pushed the shutters wide, blinking in the sudden light. Shielding my eyes, I squinted beneath my hand, and stared at the scene in front of my window in disbelief. I was on the first floor of the castle! Five feet below was the ground.**

**Between my room and the stables were the Commander's kennels and the exercise yard for the horses. The stable boys and dog trainers wouldn't care if I escaped. I could drop down without any effort and be gone. Tempting, except for the fact that I would be dead in two days time. Maybe another time, when two days of freedom might be worth the price.**

"Marvellous, she is planning her escape already," complained the Commander.

"She isn't going anywhere," replied Valek "She is too worried about the poison killing her. It is clear she wants to live."

**I could hope.**

"Shall we continue with the book or come back to it later?"

"It is nearly time for lunch so I think we should wait for a bit. The current food taster wasn't on the list of people to read the book anyway."

"I am not surprised, I don't trust him," replied Valek

"You don't trust anyone."

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><p><strong>I have really had time to work on my stories for a while. Hope you enjoy.<strong>


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